Does your premises require a grease trap? learn about the various grease traps available

Commercial kitchens and environmental protection

As a restaurateur, you are responsible for the management of your premises and the impact your premises has on the local environment. Commercial kitchens produce more food than ever before, if not treated correctly this waste can end up in the local environment, causing public health and environmental problems. Laws have been enforced to ensure restaurants take responsibility for safe disposal of their waste. Restaurants require a considerable amount of oil and fats, most of which ends up as waste which has to be discarded from the kitchen, improper disposal of FOG can lead to sewer overflows, blockages and odors’.

Grease Management systems- Be aware of your options

Grease management systems are essential for the prevention of FOG from entering public sewers. Every businesses is urged to be more proactive when it comes to grease management. Grease traps are small volume tanks meaning they can be easily installed within the kitchen in small spaces Click here to view our full range of manual and automatic grease traps. Grease interceptors are large volume tanks typically installed outside the food establishment. These large volume tanks are installed in the ground.  Click here to view our full range of large volume Grease Interceptors.

For a demo and visual of our Grease Traps and Interceptors, see our product videos here.

Grease Guardian sizing calculator

At Grease Guardian we highly recommend business owners consult with their local Wastewater Treatment Agency before installing your plumbing system and to find out what size of grease trap is required. Grease Guardian have developed an online calculator available to help size the best suited grease guardian for your FOG needs, click here to view.  Depending on the kitchen type, the volume of grease, fats and oils output and the space available, your choice of Grease Trap will vary.

FOG production in my kitchen- how can I control it and useful tips?

If the FOG output is ignored it can be a messy and often expensive side effect of food preparation that can lead to big plumbing bills and in rare circumstances legal fines for some restaurants. The key to dealing with it in a sustainable way is by minimizing the creation of FOG and maximizing the disposal by installing a Grease Trap.

Reducing the amount of FOG produced or consumed is the first step in becoming more sustainable. More often than not, this involves changes in an establishments menu and making use of FOG best practices. Fryers tend to be the most expensive piece of equipment in a commercial kitchen because of both the use and disposable of fryer oil and the substantial energy costs. Besides the high energy costs of fryers, are the costs associated with the purchase and disposal of fryer oil, the maintenance of the appliance and the additional labor of dealing with FOG.

• Introducing signage in your kitchen “NO GREASE” in front of sinks and dishwashers as a constant reminder. This acts as an ever-present reference for people working in the kitchen.
• Educating staff on how to handle old cooking oil. Practices such as ensuring that the collection barrels are covered and airtight at all times to prevent spillages and contamination.
• Instructing cooks and chefs to be conservative when using some of these cooking oils can also go a long way in reducing the amount of FOG finding itself in the drainage systems.
• Dry Clean up; This involves wiping, scrapping, and sweeping of kitchen surfaces and equipment before introducing water. You can easily use a rubber scraper on cookware, utensils, serving ware, and chaffing dishes before washing them.

Laws and Legislation on Grease Management

Food catering establishments are legally responsible for any blockages in the sewers directly linked or tracked back to their premises. There are various legislations surrounding grease management in commercial food establishments.

The British Building Regulations document, section 2.21 requires new build commercial food establishments serving hot food to install grease traps or separators. The water industry act 1999 indicates that it is a criminal offence to allow any matter to enter the drainage systems which may impend the natural flow of waste matter. Section 59 of the Building Act 1984 states that a local authority can require satisfactory drainage. This makes it possible for the relevant authorities to enforce grease management mechanisms. The Food Safety Act 1990 stipulates that any build-up or blockage caused by FOG in drains fails to comply with food hygiene regulations. Businesses found to be in contravention of this law can suffer heavy repercussions.

Water companies routinely check business to insure grease management systems are properly installed and working correctly. The inspectors can arrive unannounced this is to ensure that businesses whose actions can lead to the introduction of FOG in drainage systems are compliant to correct standards. The inspectors can fine business owners for neglect of correct management.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Grease Guardian for further advice. The decision making process is made easier by knowing the few basic pointers on Grease Output.